Young people in Northumberland putting the spotlight on volunteering

20 Sep 2017

A group of young people from Northumberland have been working on a social action project to inspire other young people to get involved with volunteering.

The project, held by National Citizen Service and Northumberland Youth Service, saw a group of young people aged 15 and 16 develop a social action project aimed at encouraging more young people to get involved with volunteering.

The project saw the group develop a promotional video showcasing their own personal experiences, thoughts and feelings of volunteering. To date the group have volunteered in a variety of settings including a care home and a range of voluntary youth projects at the Alnwick Gardens. Robyn, a 16 year old volunteer said “Volunteering at the care home was really worthwhile and eye-opening. My favourite part of the volunteering was being able to spend time with the people in the care home and learn more about them.”

The promotional video aims to reduce the stigma attached to young people and also promote a useful alternative for young people to utilise their free time. The video will be used online and able to view on Facebook and YouTube, as well as being available through Alnwick Gardens.

Councillor Wayne Daley, cabinet member for children’s services at Northumberland County Council said: “It’s fantastic to see young people from Northumberland taking part in volunteering to help within their community and also working to inspire others to do the same.

Volunteering not only benefits the young people by providing them with a great use of their free time and an opportunity to grow and develop their skills, but also benefits their local communities and they should be very proud of their work to date.”

You can follow the journey of young people participating on the NCS programme on social media. Facebook and Instagram: ncsnorthumberland and Twitter @NCCYouthCabinet or using #NCSNlandYS #NCSNorthumberland